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Play DC Playground Improvement Initiative

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), in partnership with the Department of General Services (DGS), is excited to introduce the Play DC playground improvement project. This new, multi-year citywide play space project will drive the evaluation, improvement and ongoing maintenance of the playgrounds in DPR's inventory.

Through Play DC, DPR and DGS will improve and renovate an unprecedented number of play spaces during the 2013 fiscal year and beyond. Moving forward, DPR and DGS will regularly evaluate all of DPR's playgrounds in the District and use consistent evaluation data to prioritize maintenance and capital improvements.

Vision

Play DC is a multi-year effort to provide the District’s children and adults with exciting, innovative and inclusive play spaces.

Play DC implements the DC Department of Parks and Recreation’s Move, Grow, Be Green goals, which invites residents of all ages to join in active and inclusive recreation (Move), to support their personal development through enrichment activities (Grow), and to connect to our natural world (Be Green). Play DC will be achieved through collaboration with the Department of General Services (DGS), whose integral role in building and maintaining these spaces exemplifies DGS’ mission to elevate the quality of life in the District.

Play DC will also leverage the expertise of other partners, such as the District Department of the Environment, the DC Office of Planning, other prominent, non-governmental partners and local community groups.

Goals:

Provide safe playgrounds for children living in and visiting the District.

Ensure playgrounds are accessible and inclusive for children and care givers.

Increase childhood wellness through natural and adventure play.

Foster community support for a well-loved playground.

Utilize Play DC and scorecards to encourage volunteerism and partnerships at playgrounds.

In recent years, DPR and DGS have revitalized other play spaces throughout the city, and both DPR and DGS are excited to continue creating world-class environments in which residents can move, grow and be green.

The playgrounds announced by the Mayor were evaluated using a scorecard developed by DPR. The evaluation looked at many factors, including:

Age and condition of existing equipment

Internal risk-management audits

Community needs

Existing usage

Existing surfacing

Accessibility

Area demographics

Existing infrastructure (water, electricity, etc.)

Operations and maintenance requirements

Proximity to other playgrounds/parks

DPR will continue to evaluate all DPR play spaces. Every two years, play spaces will be scored to ensure that they are still safe, attractive places to play; this is in addition to regular maintenance inspections. The information gathered through these evaluations will be used by DPR as we make ongoing decisions about maintenance and capital improvements. This information will also be published to assist community groups as they focus their efforts on supporting our work in maintaining and improving play spaces.

DPR will use this initiative to develop a strategic plan for play space in the District that is particularly focused on maintaining a high level of service and addressing any gaps in our play system.

Contact Us

Please feel free to email your thoughts and vision for each site at playdc@dc.gov.

Find more information on the Play DC locations using the left navigation bar or explore DPR's Facility Locator.